Perhaps the most often asked question from our clients about Europe river cruising is “What is the best Europe River Cruise Line? It is almost always followed by: Why is it the best?

So, I googled best Europe river cruise company and got some really interesting results. The results were all over the place—incomplete lists, reader polls, cruise critic best list(s), and two good river cruise authorities who have some well-reasoned lists.

Why such varied results? I just don’t think you can factor a best list without categories. I also think you have to look for how objective these lists are—the source, their qualifications to review river cruise lines and their reasons to rank on line over another.

Another key factor, in my opinion, is that all river cruises are good vacations and how valid is a best company list?—Does it have any real meaning?

Here is a key fact to support that argument—all of the 8 major lines I cover have good accommodations, free Wi-Fi, wine & beer with lunch and dinner, limited entertainment and tours included in their base fare.

At the very least, all river cruise companies are on par with premium ocean cruise companies and with a few exceptions include more than the ocean cruise lines. And, when you read my top 10 list below, you will see each of the 8 major lines I cover has at least one win somewhere on my list.

I write all the time about Europe river cruising and its value. One aspect that is often very confusing for many, is how best to extend their trip and visit some of Europe’s great cities. This blog covers the key extension cities on the Rhine and Upper Danube.

Almost all major cruise lines offer extensions and they can be a great value in simplifying your trip planning but are they always the best choice for you?

I know you would like a definitive answer but my response is it depends on several factors. To me these factors are 1) what is included? (to include the quality of the tours and guides), 2) transportation to the desired place, 3) security and ease of mind (how well do you handle unfamiliar places) and 4) cost—is the price worth what is included in the cruise line’s package?

I should also mention that each cruise lines has different offerings, so it really is impossible in this short blog to adequately cover exactly what they offer. To help remedy this, my approach will be to tell you about the key cities, perhaps some pitfalls to really see the sights on your own, and then you can use the 4 factors I provide you to see if it is a good value for you.

We will start north to south in Europe. So, let me defend my thoughts—use the cruise line packages, do it yourself or better yet let us plan it for you.

75 years ago today, the Allies invaded France in the Normandy region to start the defeat of Germany. We have been lucky to led 2 Anniversary Trips (the 70th and 75th) to Normandy.

I could tell about the massive effort to assemble and train the invading force, the detailed planning and super human effort of the soldiers involved, but perhaps we should see the results of their sweat, blood, sacrifice of these soldiers by looking at Normandy in two Anniversary Celebrations from some of our pictures. Normandy is free today and they have never forgot the cost to make them free.

The soldier’s deeds on that day allowed Normandy to be reborn. In Europe, the best concentration of museums, memorials and preserved sites from WW II are in Normandy. When you add in the re-enactors and equipment displays, it is almost overwhelming how good this festival celebration is—I can’t tell how much I recommend a trip here.

The other part of this is a question we are often asked--why go back a second time or more on a trip or river cruise in Europe?—I think our pictures will show you how easy it is to really miss an important aspect of a site or experience and why we keep returning to learn and see more.

So, let’s take a journey through our pictures of 5 years past and this year’s celebration to see a festival that no one will forget!

During our recent D Day trip for the 75th Anniversary of D Day, where we led 33 wonderful folks on a week-long trip (35 total counting Anne & I), we got to visit Utah Beach on a very busy day on 5 June 2019.

So, I thought I’d tell you about Utah Beach in the Normandy Invasion and let you see some of our pictures of this hallowed ground as it looks today.

On 27 December 2018, along with 2 traveling companions. I went on a fascinating Flanders Fields Tour. We were guided by Johan Serpierters, who will guide our 2019 75th Anniversary of D Day Tour. To say he did an outstanding job is an understatement—incredibly knowledgeable, he is not overbearing with facts—he has the rare talent of making the history of the war come to life.

Most of us really do not know much about the war in terms of battles fought over a 100 years ago, so, let’s learn some about what caused the war, who were the key participants, and (the real reason for this blog) a little more about the northern part of the Western Front, which is nicknamed Flanders Fields, after the famous poem from that era.

I have always found castles interesting. Many times in our history, landowners had to protect their turf from invaders and they built castles to defend and impress. A castle is both a residence and a fort, and they have evolved as weapons and lifestyles changed.

Let’s take a trip together in the misty land of Scotland and see some cool castles and their gardens.

A unique feature of the content on our website is the Travel Video Page.Most travel agencies post video made by others or shoot small snippets of a tour or ocean liner or rivership.We have taken a different approach—each video is a collection of our pictures put together in a video slide show.